The Price of Friendship
by ShiroiChou
Summary: hiatus
1. Chapter 1

**The Price of Friendship**

**Summary: **Upon his return to Konoha, Sasuke is sentenced to death. Naruto makes a deal with the elder council. The price of Sasuke's life… is Naruto's.

**Chapter Tag:** Can Sasuke ever understand that price that Naruto paid for him?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any part of Naruto. Naruto and his world belong to Kishimoto Masashi. No infringement is intended and no money is being made from this work or it's subsequent chapters.

**A/N:** Because of the nature of this project, this story is going to go through numerous rewrites. This is trial and error for me. Over the last several days I noticed that some parts of this story simply no longer work in my head the way I had intended them to. That is what triggered this first rewrite. I lucked out in that it did not affect any of the Dojinshi pages that I have already finished. This first rewrite shouldn't take too long. So that I don't get overwhelmed with it, I'm not working that far ahead of myself. Imagine if I had twenty something chapters posted and had to start rewriting it almost from the beginning? That wouldn't work out for any of us; especially considering that the Dojinshi pages can take days to complete.

For anyone who does not know, Yama (山) means mountain.

Reposted on November 03, 2008

**Chapter One  
The Village Hidden in the Valley**

_Hey Sasuke, do you remember that day? The day Naruto… died? I wonder sometimes if you every think about him… your friend, your brother, who sacrificed his life and dreams for you._

The Yamakage stood facing the sunset, relishing in the peace it brought to his soul. It did not, however, still the thoughts dredged up by the recent events. The village was coming to life below him, the people celebrating the three years since the village's inception, and subsequently three years of peace and prosperity.

He forced his thoughts to still when the air behind him stirred with the presence of one of his ANBU. "Yamakage-sama!"

The Yamakage took a deep breath to further still his mind. Even after three years the title felt… wrong. "What is it Inui?"

"The representatives from Konoha are here, sir."

He turned to face the ANBU, "Thank you. Please show them into my office. I will be there momentarily."

The ANBU vanished as quickly as he had come. The Yamakage turned back to the horizon in time to see the last rays of the sun disappear behind the mountains in the distance, casting the world into twilight.

"Konoha, huh? This should be interesting."

He turned again and could see the Konoha representatives meandering in his office through the window. He crossed the wide balcony to the door that opened next to his desk. He recognized them instantly. There were few Ninja in the world that wouldn't.

"Well, well, the infamous Team Kakashi; consisting of Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Sai, whose family name is unknown." He nodded to each in turn as he said their names before stepping behind his desk and sitting down. "I don't know if I should feel honored or nervous." He meant it too. There was a very good reason that they were infamous and not famous.

"Yamakage-sama." They answered in unison.

He paused in pulling his knee-length braid over his shoulder to look at them. "Okay. That… is just creepy." He settled the braid into the crook of his arm and sat back. "Please call me Arai. I don't care for my own people to call me "sama" let alone anyone else. I have done little that I feel is deserving of such a station. I am only here because no one else wanted the job."

"You know that isn't true, Yamaka…"

"Mika-chan," he interrupted, speaking to his assistant who was standing to the far side of the room without looking at her. She was a small woman, no more than nineteen or twenty years old. She had shoulder-length mousy brown hair and wore the standard Chuunin outfit of the Valley Village, solid colored, forest green fatigues and a dark gray vest.

"Sir?"

"Shut up."

"Yes sir."

He waved his hand to the chairs in front of his desk. "Please have a seat. Can I get you anything? It is a long journey from Konoha and I'm sure that you must be tired."

"No thank you, Sir. We are fine, I assure you." Kakashi stated simply.

Arai sat back in his chair and sighed. They were not being rude; they were being overly polite and respectful, which was just as bad. He had longed for such respect when he was younger… he shook his head slightly to clear the thought. Too many thoughts of the past where haunting him of late.

"Very well, straight to business then. I must admit though, that I am reluctant to simply let you loose in my village." The pink haired girl, Sakura he thought, made to protest, but he held up his hand. "Don't get me wrong. I know Konoha's reputation and I doubt that you would spy so openly if you felt the need to do so. Still, my number one priority is the protection of my people."

He saw Kakashi thinking and knew what was about to come out of the man's mouth. "Sir, you have to understand the position we are in. Several years ago a missing-nin from our village started a village of his own. He then used the Chuunin exams to infiltrate Konoha. Our Hokage set up this system of observing new villages who wish to take part in the exams as a way to protect us from a repeat of that incident."

Arai shook his head slowly. Kakashi had said just what he thought the man would. "I do understand and that is why you are here at all. However, I do not have an alliance with Konoha… yet. You are protecting your people so let me protect mine. I will allow you full access to my village, with the exception of the generally restricted areas, as long as you allow me to assign you an escort."

One of the two younger men on the team grumbled something Arai didn't quite hear, but he thought he heard the mention of "escorts". Sakura took the opportunity to not so subtly elbow Sasuke in the ribs and hiss at him to be quite. Arai thanked the mask over his face, almost identical to Kakashi's, for covering his smirk.

Meanwhile, Kakashi thought over the proposal. "Alright. It really is only fair. You are correct in that we do not yet have an alliance."

Arai nodded pleasantly and turned to face Mika. "My evening is clear, as well as tomorrow, correct?"

Mika looked startled for a moment but quickly recovered and checked the large book in her arms. "Yes, Sir. After you speak at the celebration this evening you are free."

"Good, you take tomorrow off as well then. I am going to be escorting our guests."

"But, Sir!"

Arai sighed. "Mika-chan, do you think that I am incapable of taking care of myself?"

"No, Sir."

"Do you think that I am incapable of escorting foreign Ninja, here on a friendly mission, through a village that I helped to build with by own hands?"

"No, Sir."

"That I'm I incapable of taking care of a C-rank mission? Which is what this is."

"No, Sir."

"Good, go out to the celebration and have a good time, that's an order."

"Yes, Sir."

He could hear Kakashi and the others stifling chuckles as Mika scurried out of the room. "I love her like a younger sister, but she is really far too protective of me." He chuckled low in his throat, but sobered quickly. "Now that she is gone, I will give you a single warning. Under no circumstances are you to harm a single person in this village. You may defend yourselves if it is absolutely necessary, though I doubt it will be. That is one of the reasons I will be escorting you personally.

"Many of my people are here because the fled their homes. For whatever reason they did not feel safe or welcome there, so they came here. You may recognize a few from your bingo books, more than one here was once a member of Konoha's forces. I know every man, woman, and child in this village and they are all loyal and productive citizens. While they are within these walls they have total immunity."

Kakashi turned to his team and looked them each in the eye before turning back to Arai. "Understood."

"Good. Now, lets get going. I have to speak at the celebration, and then we will return to my home. You will be staying with me."

XXX

When they exited Arai's office Inui was standing guard at the doors. The Yamakage waved him off and told him to go home.

Arai escorted them out of the building and through the wide streets of the village to the town square where the celebration was taking place. They walked slowly and Arai took the time to tell the visiting Ninja a little about his village and it's location.

The Village Hidden in the Valley was nestled in what was once called The Valley of the Two Peaks, deep inside Mountain Country. The "two peaks" were the two highest peaks in the region, Mount Yume and Mount Tsuki. Mount Yume was the taller of the two peaks and was immediately north of Mount Tsuki. The two mountains "grew" together about half way up to form the narrow, steep sloped valley. The Valley itself was set higher than most of the other peaks in the area and thus had a wonderful view of the country.

The village was long and narrow to accommodate its precarious location in the valley. It was built of conventional homes and shops as well as many that were built into the sides of the two mountains, like the Yamakage's offices. Higher up on the peaks were several caves and shelves that were used as training areas. Because of the rocky terrain this high up on the mountains most of the crops that fed the village were further down the peaks and tended by farmers. These smaller farming communities were still considered a part of the Valley Village and each of them held a small outpost.

By necessity, the Ninja of the village were taught to be resourceful and conservative. There was almost no waist in the village. They did not lack in resources, but neither were they very wealthy. They did not receive a large number of missions, both because they were a new village and because they were hard to reach. Mountain Country was a very small but prosperous country. It was difficult to access most of the villages in the country because of the terrain and so the crops and minerals that made the country prosperous were safe even without guard. Most of the missions that came into the village were escort missions for merchants selling the country's goods elsewhere.

He explained that the main reason he wanted to have his students participate in the Chuunin exams was so that he could advertise his village's abilities, because he did not require his students to pass the exam to advance in rank. "I would have nothing except Gennin in my village if I did that. I myself never passed the exam when I lived… elsewhere."

"You? But, you're the Yamakage and the Blue Eyed Vixen!" Kakashi coughed pointedly to hush Sakura.

"It's quite alright, Kakashi-san. I was once known by that name. But, to be fair I am neither fox nor female. It is only the blue eyes I am guilty of." He laughed and grinned wide behind his mask to dispel the small amount of tension that developed at Sakura's comment. They were almost to the celebration and the noise level made it almost imposable to continue the conversation. "I'll tell you about it after I give my speech."

He left the Konoha ninjas at the side of the stage and climbed the steps to the podium that had been set up just for him to speak. The people quieted as soon as they saw him.

"Three years ago I stood upon this spot with only fifty people to hear me. I promised then that I would work to the best of my ability to keep this village safe and prosperous. I also promised that I would give my life to protect each and every one of you and that no one in this village would ever be alone. For three years I have worked to keep those promises. For three years we have grown and prospered. In those three years we have lost a few of our own, but they did not die alone or in vain. I ask now for a moment of silence to remember those who have died for us." Arai and everyone in the village bowed their heads.

Arai took that moment to picture in his head the face of each of the twenty-seven men and women who had given their lives in service to him and the village. He felt personally responsible for each of their deaths and not a day went by that he did not stop to honor their memories.

He looked back up at the gathering and noticed from the corner of his eye that the Konoha ninja had also bowed their heads in respect for the dead. "May they never be forgotten." Everyone looked back up at him. "In those three years we have grown. There are now some two thousand villagers and Ninja here and our numbers continue to grow.

"Now, I would like to let you all know that I have petitioned the five elemental nations for our admittance into the Alliance of Villages. As some of you know, all that is required to be recognized as an official village is participation in the Chuunin and/or Jounin exams. We are currently playing host to some representatives from Konoha as a prelude to our participation in the Chuunin exams to be held there in two months."

There was a cheer from the crowd and Arai noticed with approval that a few key individuals stepped subtly away from the throng and hid in the shadows. "I will personally be escorting them through the village for the next few days, so I hope all of you make them feel welcome. Now, go have some fun."

The crowd cheered again as Arai made his way off the stage. Several people approached him as he stepped down, but he made his excuses quickly to avoid a long conversation with anyone. Team Kakashi followed him out of the masses and soon they were back on a quite street and headed toward Arai's home.

"You mentioned us intentionally, didn't you?" Sasuke, who up until that point had been quite, posed the question.

Arai nodded. "Of course. There were several of my citizens in the crowd who would want to avoid meeting up with you. I've already told you about that. Besides, I know all about you, Uchiha Sasuke, and you have little leeway in my heart for persecuting missing-nin. "

XXX

**A/N: **There were only a few minor corrections in this chapter. I hope I managed to fix some of the grammatical stuff as well. If you see something of that nature please tell me where it can be found in the chapter so that I can fix it.

**There are several new pages up for the Dojinshi. Links can be found on my author page. **


	2. Chapter 2

**The Price of Friendship**

**For anyone who read this prior to November 03, 2008, this story is being edited and reposted. See chapter one for the details.**

**Summary: **Upon his return to Konoha, Sasuke is sentenced to death. Naruto makes a deal with the elder council. The price of Sasuke's life… is Naruto's.

**Chapter Tag:** What secrets hide behind these blue eyes?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any part of Naruto. Naruto and his world belong to Kishimoto Masashi. No infringement is intended and no money is being made from this work or its subsequent chapters.

**Warning:** mentions of slavery (in passing as part of a mission) in this chapter.

Reposted on November 03, 2008.

**Chapter Two  
Blue Eyed Vixen**

The group stayed silent until they reached Arai's home. The Konoha ninja were a little surprised. They had been expecting something far grander than a medium size, traditional looking home. After all, he was the Yamakage.

As they entered the house and took off their shoes, they noticed that no one was there to greet them. The house was quite and dark.

"You live alone?" Surprisingly it was Sai who posed the question as well.

"Ah, yes. I've never had a family. I was an orphan, almost from birth, and I have yet to meet that special someone. I'm only twenty-five though. I still have time."

Inside, the house was bigger than it looked. He led them through a hallway into a large kitchen. "I hope you don't mind eating in the kitchen. I never use the dinning room if I can avoid it. Please have a seat. I'll have dinner ready shortly."

There seemed to be no end to the man's surprises. He shucked off his fine silk robe, which was carefully embroidered with the Mountain Countries crest and a beautiful mountain scene along the hem, and hung it on a hook while taking down an apron. Underneath he had on simple black fatigues. The only thing special about them was the way the thin material of his shirt was tailored to fit snugly until the collar almost seamlessly merged with his mask.

"Wait, _you're_ going to cook?" Sai, asked.

Arai looked back over his shoulder and smirked. Well, at least they thought he was smirking; it was hard to tell with the mask. "What, are you afraid of my cooking?"

"No, but don't you have a cook?" Sai asked with a light blush coloring his pale cheeks.

Arai sighed and turned back toward his cupboards. "No. I keep no servants. I could, but as I said before, I have lived alone my whole life. I'm used to doing things for myself. Doesn't the Hokage cook?"

Sakura laughed. "Nothing edible."

Arai laughed quietly as he threw some fish he had pulled from the icebox into the pan on the stove, dropped some pasta into a stockpot, and started the meat and rice for a simple curry. He was getting overenthusiastic with his cooking again, but what ever they didn't eat would keep until he could find someone else to feed. "Well, this is one of my hobbies. You can ask most anyone in the village, I like to feed people. Growing up as an orphan, food was sometimes hard to come by. So I spend a good deal of my free time making food and making people eat it."

"You sound like my mother. She is always trying to feed Sai, Sasuke, and Kakashi. When I was younger she always frowned when I told her I was on a diet. Not, that I'm not grateful to her for that." Sakura stated with genuine affection in her tone.

"You're very lucky. And you're right. I like to think of everyone in this village as part of my family. There are _no_ orphans here, even those who have no parents," he stated solemnly. Quite fell again. There seemed to end to the number of awkward pauses the group could create.

"Can we at least help you with something?" Kakashi asked.

Arai picked up a colander full of vegetables that he had rinsed for the curry and set them on the table along with bowls and knives. "Am I free to assume that, as ninja, you are capable of handling a blade well enough to cut these up?"

"We can only hope," Kakashi stated with mock seriousness.

Just like that the awkward moment was over. The group got to work, including Sasuke after a glare from Sakura. "Now, weren't you going to tell us about how you came by that name of yours?"

Arai stifled a groan at Sakura's question. He had hoped that they had forgotten about that. He was quiet for a moment, trying to think of just how to answer. Too much information would be a bad thing. He knew that they were very observant and curious about him.

He absently batted at a strand of hair that had fallen loose from one of the ties that kept his extremely long 'bangs' out of his face. He made sure that he was fully facing away from them before speaking. He knew that his resentment would show on his face. "I left my home almost ten years ago. I was, as I said, an orphan. I had many friends though and what looked to be a promising career as a Shinobi ahead of me. I would not have left, but fate was not on my side." His fist clenched as memories forced their way to the front of his mind.

"There were a few people who had some power that held a grudge against me. They tried several times to oust me from the village or have me killed, but each attempt failed. They alone could not be rid of me since my friends outranked theirs.

"When I was fifteen they made their move. I managed to capture a missing-nin whose status was… circumstantial. He was under grievous distress when he committed the crimes of which he was accused." Arai busied his hands with the food to try and block out the memories and the image of those cold eyes. He was getting too close to the truth now, but stopping would look even more suspicious.

"I befriended him and he told me the whole story."

'_Are you ready to stop running?'_

'_I have nothing left to run from.'_

Arai hastily shook off the memory. "When we returned to the village the council sentenced him to death. I knew that the majority of the council members had it in for me. It was hard not to notice. So I made them a deal. They commuted his sentence to probation and I was exiled. They got what they wanted and a good man's life was spared."

He was still telling them more than he should, but then none of them knew the enough of the facts to figure it out either.

"Wait a minute. You said earlier that you never passed the Chuunin exam. Why were you hunting a missing-nin and you still haven't told us how you got your name." Sakura sounded indignant, but she was right.

He mentally shook it off as he laid out the meal and passed around plates and chopsticks. He waited until everyone, save for Kakashi and himself, was eating to resume his story.

"True. I never passed the exam. I only took it once. I wasn't ready. I lacked in many ways. I did not yet have the ability to lead. And while I was very strong it did not make up for the skills that I lacked." A sad smile turned the corner of his lips. He was such a stupid child then. He was arrogant, unskilled, and out of control. Part of it came from his need for acceptance, but that was hardly an excuse.

"After that first exam, there was a period during which I was… otherwise occupied. It prevented me from participating again. It was mere happenstance that I captured the missing-nin. I was simply in the right place at the right time. I'd grown over the years and made strides toward filling the gaps in my education. While I still had a long way to go, I feel that if I had been given the chance to take the exam again before I was exiled, I would have passed."

He fiddled with the food on his plate, not hungry enough to attempt eating in front of them. He kept his face covered for a reason. He was sure that Kakashi had one to, but what that was he didn't know. Kakashi had managed to eat while the others were busy with their own meals and distracted by his story.

"I got a bit deeper into that than was needed, but as to how I got my name. Or rather how I got my title, because my name is Arai," he said with a raised eyebrow. The statement caused a few quiet chuckles.

"The title caught on because of a joke." He rolled his eyes. "Because I was exiled, I wasn't considered a missing-nin. I didn't have to worry about causing a conflict for anyone but myself. I started to get a reputation as someone reliable, trustworthy, and enough skill to get the job done. Though I made sure to stay well away from my home village, other ninja villages began to approach me for independent work. So long as the job wasn't in conflict with my morals or against my home village I took it.

"A little more then a year after I left home, I was approached by a Jounin from Suna. Rumors were circulating that someone was running a slavery ring in their country. Because I was touted as a skilled, but unknown face in their country they wanted me to infiltrate the ring and get enough evidence to bring it down. I was able to scout things out fairly easily. I was fortunate that the man running the location I infiltrated was both a braggart and an idiot. I picked a fight with one of his guards in front of him and won with little to no effort. I later found out that it was the man's 'best' guard." Arai couldn't help but laugh at that memory.

"After that I had no trouble getting the information I needed. I was hired to be the man's personal bodyguard with almost no fanfare. They didn't even try to find out my background. Unfortunately the man was also a bit of a pervert. He thought it was funny that I looked so 'girly'. He is the one who started calling me Vixen." He shook his head at just how stupid it all was.

"Anyway, while I was working on the mission I befriended my contact from Suna. Because of a smart assed remark on his part at the wrong time, I became the Blue Eyed Vixen."

It seem the group was speechless. Again, Arai could only shake his head. He would let them ponder on it for a while.

He looked at the clock. It was getting late. He gathered up the dishes, putting the leftovers away. With the help of Team Kakashi, the after-dinner clean up was short work. He was a bit surprised that so little food was left. Either they were extremely hungry or they had just been proven wrong about more than they knew.

He showed them each to their rooms before making his way to his own.

As he looked at his naked face in the bathroom mirror, he wondered how covering six little scars could manage to make him anonymous. People he had once considered family hadn't been able to see past a thin piece of black clothe. Then again they thought he was dead.

For the first time in years, the man once known as Uzumaki Naruto allowed himself to cry for all that he had lost.

XXX

**A/N:** Remember to check out the Dojinshi. The links are in my profile. I am almost done illustrating this chapter! Woot!

Again, if you see errors please tell me where they are at in the chapter so that I can fix them.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Price of Friendship**

**SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER **

**For anyone who read this prior to November 03, 2008, this story is being edited and reposted. See chapter one for the details.**

**Summary: **Upon his return to Konoha, Sasuke is sentenced to death. Naruto makes a deal with the elder council. The price of Sasuke's life… is Naruto's.

**Chapter Tag:** How did the boy become the man?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any part of Naruto. Naruto and his world belong to Kishimoto Masashi. No infringement is intended and no money is being made from this work or it's subsequent chapters.

**A/N: **I am seriously thinking about a Sasuke/Sakura relationship. If not then they will be very close and sibling-like. Regardless, they are going to catch hell over it from a lot of directions. Why they catch hell for it is going to show up later. Even if they stay sibling-like, Kakashi and Sai are going to persist that it is a romantic relationship for a long time, as much to have an excuse to harass them as anything else.

There is now a poll up on my author page for the Sasuke/Sakura relationship. When that poll is closed there will be one added for Naruto's possible relationships.

A lot changed in this chapter. I changed it to fit the newer chapter because of some of the things that are happening. That being said, there will be **SPOILERS** for the newest chapters of the Naruto manga and further plot developments may be incorporated into the story.

**THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER! **You have been duly warned, so no complaining. –November 14, 2008

**Chapter Three  
Memories**

"Are you sure he's asleep?" Kakashi asked as Sai ducked into the room and leaned against the door.

"As sure as I can be. My ink rat reported that he is in his bed and his Chakra levels have settled down."

Kakashi nodded. "That is the best we can do for now. This guy is a total mystery, so there is no telling. We have to remain cautious."

Kakashi was seated in large windowsill. The house only had two floors, but the ground it was built on was slightly raised and he had a good view of the valley. It also gave him the advantage of being better able to notice if someone watching them.

"Review time. What do we know and what have we learned?"

Sasuke rubbed his forehead and sighed. "He really didn't tell us much we didn't already know. The reports from the Kazekage told us most of what he related about the slavery ring. He may still have contact with someone in Suna though."

Sakura nodded, "That is assuming that the contact is still in Suna and not here. We know that they have had a few go missing in recent years."

"Good, but what else."

Sai hadn't worked with Kakashi when they were young, so he was not as prone to realize, but both Sakura and Sasuke rolled their eyes. Kakashi was either trying to check how well they had observed the situation or he was simply being lazy and making them do all the work.

"Gaara-sama speaks highly of him, but says that he doesn't know him. We have no reason to doubt him on it. We know that it was Arai-sama's information that gave us the upper hand when we helped Suna infiltrate the two houses near the Fire/Wind border," Sai pointed out.

"The only thing he divulged about the mission that we didn't already know was the fact that it was where he acquired his name. However, it makes sense. We don't have any reports about the 'Blue Eyed Vixen' prior to that point. We can most likely assume that he was behind several of the 'powerful rogue' reports we had for a year or so prior to that. It fits the timeframe for when he says he was forced from his home." Sasuke added before sitting down next to Sakura on Kakashi's bed.

Sakura leaned against Sasuke's shoulder and Sasuke unconsciously leaned back. The two of them had become much closer since Naruto's death. Neither Kakashi nor Sai said anything, but they did throw smirks at each other. The two of them could see what Sakura and Sasuke seemed oblivious to.

Sakura chewed her lip for a moment before picking up where Sasuke left off. "He has a negative, but unknown reputation in Earth Country. They don't have a picture of him and refuse to say why they want him dead. Also, none of the known villages have claimed him. Given what he has said about his past, that is not really surprising. I mean, why would they claim him if they were stupid enough to kick him out?"

"I think we can eliminate Earth, Wind, and Fire Countries as possible points of origin. One of the smaller countries would likely both claim and keep someone that powerful. They wouldn't give up that kind of strength. With the exception of the occasional job for Suna, he rarely worked with anyone except the smaller villages. That also implies that he is from one of the five powers. He works with Suna too often to originate from Wind Country, Earth wants his head, and as far as we know, he has never so much as set foot in Fire County. The only recorded encounters with Konoha we reported as occurring outside of Fire country.

"We know that there are several significant names in the village and it is unlikely that they would accept leadership from someone they thought was weak. Therefore we can also assume that he is every bit as strong as the rumors claim he is." Kakashi was restless. He didn't like the number of gaps in Arai's history. He was missing something, he just didn't know what.

"Do you think that he suspects our true purpose?" Sakura asked.

"It wouldn't surprise me, but I don't think so. He has no reason to suspect that he is the real subject of our investigation. If he did then I think he would have assigned someone else to be our 'guide'," Kakashi pointed out. "He seems to be sharp, but I don't think he suspects. At least not yet."

Sai grumbled under his breath. After leaving ROOT and coming out of his shell, he developed an almost insatiable curiosity. He didn't like being left out of the loop or not knowing something. "Too much was happing in Konoha at the time he became known. Akatsuki, Sasuke's return, and the loss of so many friends… He could have come from anywhere and we would have missed it."

"That's true," Sakura added in a quite voice. "Then he vanishes as quickly as he appeared about four years ago. Three years ago Mountain County made the announcement that they were forming their own village and shortly after intelligence comes in that he was made Yamakage."

"Well, that pretty much sums up what we knew," Kakashi said leaning forward. "Now, what have we learned?"

Sakura and Sasuke seemed hesitant, but with good reason as far as Kakashi was concerned. "I'll start then, shall I?" he grumbled half to himself. "He allowed himself to be banished from his home village in exchange for them to spare the life of a missing ninja."

Sakura spoke up. "Is it just me or did he seem slightly upset that he told us that part? Do you think it was a slip? I mean, I know he said he didn't mean to get so detailed with the story, but…"

"I don't like it. He's hiding something." Sasuke's agitation was obvious as he stood and began pacing back and forth.

"I suspect that he is hiding a good many things. That is, after all, the definition of a good shinobi." Kakashi couldn't help mocking his former student.

Sasuke turned a heated glare on Kakashi. "You know what I mean."

"No, I really don't think I do. Why don't you enlighten me?" Kakashi's eye turned up as he smiled.

Sasuke ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "He's… too nice… to perfect. It seems like he sat down one day and wrote the most unbelievable life story possible and decided that was who he was. He's unreal. He's too much like…" Sasuke cut himself off. The name that he had almost uttered was a particular taboo to him.

Kakashi on the other hand had no compunction against it. "Naruto. Yeah, I think he is a great deal like Naruto would have been had he not died."

A quite contemplation overtook them. Each was taking the time to remember Naruto and compare him to Arai. There were unquestionable similarities.

"I feel like he is being honest with us. I feel like we can trust him," Sakura stated bluntly. She was sitting at the head of Kakashi's bed with her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Sakura, we have already discussed this. A woman's intuition doesn't count against shinobi." Sakura sent a glare at Sasuke quickly followed by Kakashi's pillow. Sasuke didn't even try to dodge and let the pillow hit him in the face. He knew that to do so was to further incur Sakura's wrath. The fan girl was long gone.

"Now, now you two, no fighting. I swear, one of these days you two love birds are just going to have to get a room." Sai only smiled at the glares they sent his way, instead taking note of the noticeable blush on both of their faces.

"Children, behave. We are here for a reason." Kakashi couldn't help but be amused at their antics though. The humor seeped into his voice and belied his words. He sobered a little as his thoughts lingered on the blond ball of sunshine that changed their lives.

Kakashi was drawn from his thoughts by the three younger jounin's banter. It was becoming obvious that they would make no progress that night.

XXX

Arai listened to them talking. He was leaning carefully against the wall next to the door. He was a little surprised that they had not noticed his presence, but he was nonetheless grateful. It would have proved awkward had he been caught eavesdropping. When the conversation dissolved into idle banter he decided to retreat to his room lest his laughter give him away.

He slipped out of his dressing robe, but left his mask on. He didn't was to risk the off chance that they would try to catch him with his guard down, not that they could. _'Of all the people for Konoha to send, this group was the most troublesome,' _he thought. '_If anyone had a chance of recognizing me it would be them._ _Still, to their knowledge I'm dead and it needs to stay that way.'_

After awhile he heard the quiet footsteps down the hall that told him they had finally decided to go to bed. Soon after he fell into a fitful sleep. He dreamed.

_The village was in ruins. So many had lost their lives for his sake. It could have been worse though. Konoha and Suna had worked together and tracked down the last vestiges of the Akatsuki. They had put up a hell of a fight, even with the key members of the organization already dead._

_As soon as he was released to do so, Naruto set out to reestablish as much of Jiraiya's defunct spy network as he could in hopes of locating Sasuke. His appearances were becoming more sporadic and unpredictable. It had been a little more than three years since he had really known his friend and so his personal experiences were worth almost nothing._

_It was while he was out on his own that he ran into just the man he was seeking. Sasuke even fought him. Naruto was taken aback by the dead look in his former friend's eyes._

"_Are you ready to stop running?"_

"_I have nothing left to run from. It's over Naruto. It's all over."_

_Naruto had never seen his friend so defeated, but instead of lessoning his anger it made it worse. He rushed forward and punched Sasuke so hard it sent him into a tree. _

_He crossed the distanced between them and took hold of Sasuke's shirt. "This is just the beginning. I'm not going to let you give up now. We're going home."_

"_Dobe…"_

_Naruto felt Sasuke going limp. It was then that Naruto noticed the dark circles under Sasuke's eyes. He must have been utterly exhausted. Naruto could only think of one thing to say before his friend lost consciousness, "Welcome back, Teme." _

_X_

_Naruto was almost a week outside of Konoha, at a normal ninja speed, when he encountered Sasuke. With Sasuke unconscious he was forced to slow his pace. It took almost two days for Sasuke to wake up. _

_When Sasuke did wake Naruto filled him in on all the things that he had missed in his absence. For a while Naruto could almost forget all that had passed between them._

_Sasuke told Naruto about everything, killing Orochimaru and Itachi, Itachi's apparent illness, Madara, and the history of the Uchiha. He even told Naruto what he had learned about the Kyuubi. _

_They walked slowly back to Konoha. When they were finished talking a comfortable silence fell between them and there was no need for either to forgive the other. Naruto stayed close, but Sasuke never once acted like he wanted to stray from the path. When they a last reached the village they were greeted by their friends with joy and relief. That chapter of their lives was finally finished, but the celebration didn't last long._

_X _

"_What do you mean they sentenced him to death?" Naruto's voice was loud and obviously agitated. _

"_There is nothing I could do. I was going to give him some house arrest followed by probation, but the council refused. They say that he willing betrayed the village and that he remains a threat. If you want to be Hokage then you have to understand. Sometimes you have to do things that you don't like." Tsunade understood his anger and she regretted what she had to do, but it wasn't up to her anymore. She had never once thought that the council would demand Sasuke's death. It was almost inconceivable._

_For Naruto the pieces were falling into place. He had a plan. He had one ace in the hole that he'd hoped he'd never have to play. But what wouldn't he do for the life of his friends?_

"_I request a privet audience with the elder council."_

_Tsunade looked up at him with suspicious eyes. "What are you planning?"_

"_Please."_

_There was really nothing she could do. "Alright, I'll get us into see them as soon as possible."_

_Naruto shook his head. "No, I have to do this on my own."_

_She looked at him and saw the determination. "Alright."_

_X_

"_We are agreed then. Uchiha Sasuke's sentence will be commuted to six months of house arrest with one year of probation to follow. In that time he will not be permitted to leave the village under any circumstances and will be restricted to D-rank missions. He will be confined to a further year of Gennin status before being allowed to participate in the Chuunin exams. In exchange you will henceforth be exiled from Konoha and never step foot within its walls again. You will never take any action against Konoha or aid another do so. You will be given the honorary title of Jounin and allowed to 'die' for the village. We will also permit Tsunade to anouce that you were her intended successior." The spokesman for the elder council finished with a smug look._

_Naruto bowed his head. His gut clenched painfully, but what was done was done. It was worth it to save Sasuke. "Agreed. Just so you know, the only reason that you will get away with this is because I will be 'dead'. I know you did it for your sake and not mine. Otherwise you would have a whole lot of people after your heads." _

_He didn't wait for a reply. He turned and left. He left everything but his equipment behind at his apartment; it would be too painful to have it with him and look suspicious if it were gone. He couldn't even say goodbye to his friends or tell them he was going on a mission. Uzumaki Naruto simply left Konoha, never to return. _

XXX

**A/N:** Remember to check out the newest pages of the Dojinshi. The links are in my profile. Check out the poll while you're there. XD


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